Boost your a.m. protein intake with a breakfast skillet made in under 15 minutes.
If you’re like most Americans, your protein intake for breakfast is typcially inadequate. Maybe you’ve never been in the habit of starting your day with breakfast, or grabbing something as you dash out the door is all you’ve ever been able to make time for. Take note: Having a few key ingredients on hand can help your score a savory breakfast brimming with that ALL important macronutrient responsible for building and repairing muscle! Don’t underestimate the prower of protein, it also helps with weight loss and can keep you feeling full longer.

3. Add soy chorizo crumbles, black beans, and fire roasted tomatoes. Stir to combine and cook until heated. Remove from heat; make a hole in the center of salsa mixture with spoon.

4. Separate egg, dropping white into the hole made in the center of salsa. Add yolk on top of egg white. Place skillet in oven and bake for about 8 minutes or until egg is cooked. Add pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrient rich, ready in 15 minutes and under 300 calories this sheet pan kale and egg bake is just as good for dinner as it is for breakfast.

It’s probably safe to say, you ‘re as happy as I am to be welcoming Spring! Who doesn’t like blooming shrubs, greener grass, warmer weather, longer days, and ..spring cleaning? Did I just say cleaning? UGH, sorry, we don’t like cleaning, do we? But maybe we can agree that we do love the results of time spent tossing out and tidying up. The Recipe Redux must feel me, because they’re challenging us with a Spring Cleaning Theme:

Cook with at least 3 ingredients that are actually in your pantry right now. Try not to go to the store to buy anything new. Give tips to make a healthy dish with whatever you have on hand.

Here’s the story behind how I completed the March challenge. Last Friday was extraordinary. The kind of day that rarely happens, I was home alone knocking out projects that were long overdue #springcleaning. As the day wore on, I was working up a big appetite, and the urge to go to the grocery store was mounting, especially because I had nothing planned for dinner (yep it happens ). I resisted putting an end to my productive day, not knowing when I would have time (or motivation) to return to the mundane tasks I was undertaking.

After peeling off the last remaining old wall paper that was hung in the bathroom once used by my two children, I headed to my kitchen to prepare a healthy meal for two, without a trip to the grocery store. It began with a simple 3 step inventory of what I had on hand.

2. Second, show me the veggies?(remember, healthy meals are served with half the plate full of vegetables). I did have few frozen packages of vegetables in the freezer and half head of kale (that was beginning to wilt) in the refrigerator .

3. Finally, I looked something to round out the meal, carbohydrates, preferable whole grains, ( here’s what i found: brown rice, quinoa, and a day old half of a whole wheat baguette.)

After the rudimentary inventory, I picked items that were most perishable in each group: the eggs, kale and baguette were winners, and that

40% daily value for calcium, 80% daily value for vitamin A, 70% daily value for vitamin C, 15% daily value for iron. This meal is low in carbs (14 grams per serving), so I was glad I had the baguette and I also added a glass of orange juice for a satisfying meal without leaving the house. What tips to you have to get a healthy meal on the table with what you have on hand?

Please see the links below to see how my colleagues are meeting the challenge of making a meal with what’s on hand. Happy Spring! Sheet Pan Kale and Egg Bake

This savory, Dutch pancake is a delicious way to add protein to breakfast!

Disclosure: I was asked to participate in Davidson’s Safest Choice Egg’s Nutrition for Life campaign. I was compensated for writing this post. Opinions are my own.

Believing a single food will protect you from disease is like believing in unicorns; they don’t exist. Your health depends on the combination of your genes and your lifestyle. Taking care of yourself is a MUST and should include eating right, exercising daily and not smoking. Safest Choice Eggs agrees a healthy diet and exercise go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, they want to help jump start your 2015 health and fitness goals with an awesome Nutrition for Life campaign to kick off the New Year! I am proud to be a partner and together, we want You to WIN! Every small step toward your goal counts. Take one step at a time. Step one (also my first tip to preserve muscle): Eat regular meals containing 20 to 30 gram of protein about every 4 hours.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I love muscles. You also know the 10 reasons why you should care about muscle maintenance. But are you doing everything YOU can to preserve YOUR muscles? Are you feeding your body with a steady intake of fuel throughout the day in the form of protein to manufacture lean tissue?

If you’re like most Americans, your protein intake is skewed. In other words, you don’t eat much protein at breakfast, you eat a little more at lunch and you load up in the evening. Sound familiar?

So what’s the benefit of spreading protein intake throughout the day (vs loading up at one meal)? It allows the body to effectively build muscle and other proteins. Small frequent feedings of protein are better for muscle- allowing for maximal muscle protein synthesis. It’s also helpful if you’re aiming to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Studies show that protein increases satiety and including about 20 grams in the morning possibly reduces caloric intake for the rest of the day.

Start shaping up breakfast with the power of protein. (I will be sharing more ways to spread protein throughout the day in upcoming posts.) But for today, the focus is breakfast! My savory Dutch pancake made with Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs is not only a victor when it comes to taste; one serving provides 20 grams of protein. SafeEggs are my choice for a high quality protein and they also provide iron, vitamins A, D, E choline and antioxidants. Not to mention the peace of mind I get with naturally pastuerized eggs, there is NEVER a risk of salmonella.

So stop chasing unicorns, and strive to take the first step to better health by eating breakfast and including dietary protein. Try this recipe or discover other ways to enjoy SafeEggs.

High Protein Dutch Pancake

serves 4

by Diane Boyd

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, melted

4 scallions, whites and greens separated

4 whole Safe Choice pasteurized eggs

1 cup nonfat milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup low fat shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

4-5 slices Canadian bacon, sliced lengthwise into thin strips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Chop scallion whites. Add melted butter and chopped scallion whites to a 10 inche cast iron skillet. Place in oven and heat until very hot. Swirl skillet around to evenly coat bottom and sides of skillet.

2. Meanwhile, slice scallion greens into long slivers and place them into a bowl filled with cold water. (They should curl up and be prefect for garnishing your Dutch baby when it is finished.)

3. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and smoked paprika.

4. Remove hot skillet from oven. Pour in batter. Top with half of cheese and return to oven for 25-30 minutes.

5. In a small fry pan, sautee Canadian bacon.

6. Remove Dutch pancake from oven when edges are crispy and center is fluffy.